Aaron Boone is back with the Yankees and set to manage Saturday afternoon’s spring training game against the Pirates, and offered updates on two key injured pitchers.
Clarke Schmidt and Luis Severino are both sidelined, with Severino out until after the All-Star break, but both are progressing as hoped, and Severino could begin throwing off a mound as early as next week as he continues rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, which caused him to miss the entire 2020 season.
“We’re hoping next week,” Boone said. “But we gotta get through this week and make sure everything continues to go. But he’s doing well.”
Schmidt, the Yankees’ top pitching prospect, avoided a potential second Tommy John surgery (he underwent one in 2017) when he was diagnosed with an extensor strain in his pitching elbow just a week after pitchers and catchers reported for spring training. Schmidt hasn’t begun throwing again, but he could reach that point in a week or so.
“Clarke, I actually saw him before I walked out, he’s doing well, but he’s in about day 15 or 16 of no-throw,” Boone said. “He’s made steady progress. As we’ve checked in with him, it’s kind of been better each and every day, but he’s still at least another week before he starts throwing.”
Initial plans were for Schmidt to be shut down from throwing for three weeks, and with the righty now just past the two-week mark, he could be back to throwing within the original timeline.
“Range of motion, strength, all of those things are coming back the way it should, but he’s probably another week or so away from throwing,” Boone said.
Fortunately for Boone and the Yankees, who have dealt with seemingly endless injuries since spring training of 2019, everyone else on the roster appears to be in good health.
“We’re good,” Boone said. “Guys are responding pretty well.”
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